Tortured: Sami al-Saadi was taken to Libya by British intelligence (Picture: Demotix)

A dissident has won a £2million payout after claiming British spies helped send him home to Libya to be jailed and tortured.

Sami al-Saadi, a prominent opponent of Muammar Gaddafi, was forced on to a plane and secretly flown to Tripoli with his wife and four children in 2004.

It has emerged ministers have settled out of court with the 46-year-old’s family.

Britain has not accepted liability for the case, which centred on allegations that MI6 was instrumental in the so-called extraordinary rendition.

Mr al-Saadi said he decided not to fight the case in the courts for the sake of his family.

‘They suffered enough when they were kidnapped and flown to Gaddafi’s Libya,’ he said. ‘They will now have the chance to complete their education in the new, free Libya.’

He added: ‘Even now the British government has never given an answer to the simple question, “Were you involved in the kidnap of me, my wife and my children?” I think the payment speaks for itself.’ The family were put on a plane in Hong Kong and flown to Libya, where they were imprisoned.